The following U.S. patents comprise the most pertinent known prior art:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,464
U.S. Pat. No. 3,618,539
U.S. Pat. No. 804,378
U.S. Pat. No. 3,864,090
U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,262
U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,308
U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,562
U.S. Pat. No. 1,757,140
It is generally well known in the prior art to provide devices which attach to water delivery systems for adding desirable compounds to the water which passes through the system. Such desirable compounds may include fertilizer, pesticide, detergents, and other cleaning agents, or the like.
These prior art devices typically employ a chamber which is connected to a pipe or other flow channel through which the liquid is delivered. The chamber is adapted to contain the compound to be added to the water, and a small orifice connects the chamber to the flow channel to divert a small portion of the fluid stream into the chamber to dissolve the compound therein. The resulting mixture is then aspirated from the chamber through an outlet orifice which also communicates with the flow channel.
A general problem encountered in conjunction with devices as described in the foregoing is that the compounds placed in the chamber are often not readily dissolved by the water flow that enters the chamber. This may be due to the fact that many substances do not easily dissolve in water, or that the water entering the chamber does not provide sufficient agitation of the substance therein to achieve complete dissolution thereof. As a result, the amount of solute which mixes with the fluid stream in the flow channel may be less than anticipated, and the concentration of the solute may vary considerably as the substance is discharged. It is well known that uneven applications of such substances as fertilizer or pesticide can cause detrimental effects.